Clan Traitor
by Nicholas Chronicles
Summary: Torak is heading off to a clan meet after Eostra's death. What happens when the host doesn't show up?
1. Return

One

Torak sliced the water with his oars, drawing back and allowing the breeze to fill his face. He knocked his knee on the faithful skinboat, which had once been dyed with seal blood, but had lost all traces of the color. The Seal clan had offered to dye it again, but he declined. He liked his boat as it was. He lay down on the hide, enjoying the clouds that drifted past his sightline, savoring the lovely feeling of floating on the water.

It had been half a moon since his battle with the last Soul-Eater on the Mountain of Ghosts. He dared not say her name aloud for fear of bringing back her spirit to haunt them. He was still remembering the whole battle, picturing it taking place in his mind, when suddenly a nauseous feeling swallowed his belly, and he immediately tried to think of happy things. Too late. His throat clammed up, and one single entity obliterated everything. _Fa._ It still disturbed him that he could have saved him, brought him back from the dead, but he gave up the chance. Had he made the correct choice. One side of his brain said that this way, the entire Forest had benefitted from the choice, and the latter choice would mean that only he and Fa would have benefitted. The other side said, But what about Fa?

He tugged open his deer stomach pack, drawing out some of Renn's salmon cakes and a few hazelnuts. He munched on them, jumping from each string of thought to another, and then ending the whole process with a crunch. Much like Wolf.

His hand involuntarily raised up to the stone wolf amulet that Dark had made for him. He had dutifully taken care of it, renewing the alder blood on its belly every 7 days.

The boat stopped abruptly. They had hit land. Torak woke, grumpy at the end of his boat ride, but the feeling left him entirely at the prospect of meeting Wolf again.

Torak put his hands to his mouth and howled. _I'm coming, pack-brother!_

* * *

Fin-Kedinn watched the elk they were hunting stomp off to the brook for a drink. He took aim – and a grey arrow shot across the scene. And, if he had looked closely, he would have seen a tongue dropping straight out of a wolf's mouth.

The elk ran away. Fin-Kedinn sighed. The hunt was ruined.


	2. Reunion

Two

Torak held his howl for a few moments, before he was hit full in the face by warm grey fur. Torak yipped playfully, and Wolf drowned him in licks. Wolf jumped off of him and lay down in a ready position, his tail wagging from side to side. _Let's play!_

Torak bent down and snuffle-licked his muzzle. _Okay. Come on!_

Torak chased after Wolf, who of course outran him easily. After a while, Torak leaned against a rock, utterly spent. Wolf trotted up to him, rubbing against his side. _How are you?_

_I'm fine, pack-brother. Where is Darkfur?_

_She is at the Den._

Torak straightened._ Show me the Den!_

_Too far._

_What?_

_Too far._

_How did you come so fast, then?_

_I'm faster than you._

_Oh, really? _Torak's face was flush with the promise of a challenge. _Catch up if you can!_

Torak bolted suddenly, running through trees, all the while feeling Wolf gain on him. He leaped over rocks, ducked under low branches, and soon Wolf was right next to him. Torak doubled over, exhausted for the second time in as many minutes. Wolf lead him over through a couple of trees, and Torak caught sight of a hunter. Who was it? Torak tensed, but Wolf bounded right up to him, pouncing on his face. "Okay, that's enough."

Torak rushed. He knew that voice.

"Fin-Kedinn!" He leaped at him and hugged him. His foster father returned the embrace.

"Torak! It is good to see you again!"

"And you too!"  
"Renn will be so cross. It hasn't even been late summer yet."

_Renn._ "Oh yeah. I deserted her. How's Dark? He's still OK right?"

"He's still getting used to being Mage."

"Mage." He echoed. It was odd, Saeunn being dead. "yeah."


	3. The Pack Sister

Three

Renn was furious and had been for the past three days. Torak had deserted her, right when they had been hunting. How could he have done something like that? She plucked a thought out of her head, pausing to think over it and consider it, then returned to her original grumpy state for lack of being able to find out the possibilities of why he could've left.

She got up and went to drink some elderberry juice that was being made by Poi, and it refreshed her. She brought the wooden cup to her lips once again, and suddenly it wasn't there. She stared at the liquid that was steadily dying the ground a deep purple. She drew her knife in a flash, hearing slurping noises. She pounced on the grey shape in front of her, only to be met by slaps from a wet sandpapery object, which was drowning her in... _saliva? _

She opened her eyes as far as she dared, taking in a big black nose. She forced the shape away from her, Forcing her reluctant eyelids open. She saw Poi laughing at her, then turned to the shape. They shape pounced on her, putting paws on her and whining._ Wait. Paws?_

A hunter emerged from the trees, followed by the body and three souls that she had been fuming over.

She sprinted towards Torak.

* * *

Torak heard whines and laughs as he emerged into an enclosure. He trudged after Fin -Kedinn, and saw Renn dripping we with licks. He opened his arms, presenting himself to the flaming haired girl. She ran towards him. He was about to embrace her when a sharp blow was laid across his cheek.

Torak was surprised. He held her gaze for a moment, and was met by another slap.

"You utter idiot!" This was followed by five sentences of pure obscenity, while Torak stared again at the swearing girl. "It was only three days, and you broke your promise completely!"

Torak lowered his hands, and received a bear hug from Renn, who backed away, blushing. Poi dropped his elderberry juice mug, and his mouth popped open at Fin-Kedinn.

Fin-Kedinn shrugged, and then gently pushed Poi's mouth closed.


	4. First Sign

Four

Torak lay down in his tent, holding yarrow leaves against the cheek which had been stinging for a whole day. He was feeling restless, and was trying to keep all of his thoughts focused, and not whizzing around like the stars which moved across the First Tree, spraying the sky with dust. The arrows of the World Spirit. Torak sighed. All these distractions were giving him a migraine.

He had explained everything to Renn, but she didn't seem to understand. He had to reach the Elk River ford. _But why? _said a part of his brain. Why did you go?  
That was the thing. He just.... had to. It was a feeling. Like the feeling which Wolf had that guided him and Torak to the Mountain of the World Spirit, to destroy the bear. A Pull.

Renn was unsympathetic, and unrelenting about the slaps she had given to Torak. She had stalked off, using the ever-useful excuse: That she was going hunting.  
Torak needed a breath of fresh air. He crawled out of the tent, and straightened up. He saw by the moonlight that the yarrow leaves were slightly darker, and the medicine in them had been used. He crumpled them and threw them away, pulling out his waterskin and washing his cheek. He felt stuffy, so he forgot about gently shaking it for a little water and let the complete contents of the waterskin slip over him. Aah... pure bliss.

Walking towards the fire where the rest of the clan was gathered, and he asked Fin-Kedinn what they would be eating for the nightmeal. Fin-Kedinn grunted, and pointed to a deer-liver stew. Torak's stomach grumbled. He trodded along to the cooking skin, and took a wooden bowl of stew from Salmot. He tucked in, not bothering to use his grouse-bone spoon or his salmon-rib skewer. He greedily chewed on each piece that he ripped off from the carcass, savoring the flavor and then swallowing it. The skin around his forehead began to tighten. He felt uncomfortable and massaged his face with his free hand. It wouldn't let loose. He forgot about it and finished his stew. The center of his forehead began to tingle. Just as he hoisted himself up, excrutiating pain burst through his forehead. He fell to the ground, bouncing gently. He didn't have time to scream.

The rest of the clan rushed to his aid, ripping off his jerkin and checking for his heartbeat. It was Fin-Kedinn who saw it.

"Look to his head." Everyone obeyed. There, the outcast tatoo that The Raven Leader had turned into an all-clan symbol was glowing. And there was a red rim around it.

Dark pushed to the front, examining the rim. "I am taking him." No one argued. After all, he was the Clan Mage.

Dark examined his body, then he gasped and turned Torak over on his back. There, in the middle, was a hand-print, very like the one in the hand-sign to ward off evil.  
But instead of the three bars, there was a three pronged spear pointing sideways above the middle finger.

The sign of the Soul-Eaters.


End file.
